Boat lift



Feb. 20, 1962 E. E. HARVEY 3,021,965

BOAT LIFT Filed Nov. 6, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I INVENTOR.

BY 28 2G 7Z77Z M/n 3o ATTOQ/VEYS Feb. 20, 1962 E. E. HARVEY BOAT LIFT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 6, 1959 1- NINVENTOR.

6'. H42 V6 Y tats 3,021,955 BOAT LHT Edward E. Harvey, Graver, Iowa Filed Nov. 6, 1959, Ser. No. 851,433 1 Claim. (Cl. 214-1) ited.

that the device requires no expensive hydraulic pump unit, but can be operated merely by connecting thereto a hose leading from any handy source of water underpressure.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an inexpensive and adequately rugged device of the character indicated above, which can be easily assembled fro-m simple and readily available components, such as plumbing pipe and fittings, rods, and sleeves, which can be obtained from local supply houses.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific form of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a persepective view of a device of the invention, with the lift mechanism in depressed position;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged schematic side elevation showing the device installed and levelled on a water bottom, with the lift mechanism in elevated position in full lines and in depressed position in phantom lines;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line 33 of FIGURE 2; and,

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 3. 1

Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the illustrated device comprises a longitudinally elongated open horizontal main frame 10, to rest upon and be levelled on a water bottom 12 below water level W, and boat lifting mechanism 14 mounted upon the frame 10, onto which a boat B is adapted to be floated, to be elevated out of and'above the water level W.

The frame it) comprises a pair of parallel laterally spaced longitudinal side members 16 having straight, normally horizontal forward portions 18 and shorter downwardly angled rear portions 20. The side members 16 can be single length of pipe or rod, and have vertical sleeves 22 fixed, as by welding, on their rear ends, and are similarly fixed, at their forward ends, to related ends of a forward horizontal cross bar or rod 24, having downturned ends 26. Fixed centrally to the lower ends of the downturned rod ends 26 are flat feet or slides 28, having upwardly angled ends 30 and 32, which facilitate sliding the feet on the water bottom 12.

Slidably engaged in the sleeves 22 are vertical shafts 34 which are centrally fixed, at their lower ends, to flat rear feet or slides 36 like the forward slides 28. Set screws 38, in the sleeves 22, are provided for locking the rear slides 36 in vertically adjusted positions, where the downward angulation of the rear portions 20 of the frame side members 16 is not enough to level the frame 10 on a declining water bottom 12, as illustrated in FIGURE 2.

Additionally spacing and bracing the side members 16, at the mid-length points thereof, is an intermediate cross atent ice member 48, suitably of rod or pipe, which is fixed to the lower ends of short vertical elements 42 which are fixed to and depend from the side members 16. A rear cross member 43 is provided between the side members 16 at points near and spaced from their rear ends. Longi- "ritudinal tie rods or braces 44 underlie the side members 16, are secured to the intermediate cross member 40 and, at the related ends, to the forward cross member 24 and the sleeves 22. The liftingmechanism 14 comprises a. forward lift 3T frame 46 comprising laterally spaced longitudinal side rods 48 which are fixed at one end'to sleeves 50 which are journalled on the forward frame cross member 24, and fixed at their other ends to sleeves'52 which are journalled on the straight transverse bight portion'54 T 3 of a forward U-shaped boat cradle 56, the bight portion 54 having fixed upstanding arms 58 on its ends, which are spaced from each other at a distance to. accept boats of contemplated. widths or beams therebetween. The side rods 48 are spaced and connected, at their midpoints, by 11a cross rod 60 .which is setup from the plane of the side rods by short vertical elements 62. Longitudinal brace rods- 64 extend between and are secured to the sleeves 50 and 52 and to the elements 62. Diagonal 2 brace rods 65 extend between the sleeves 50 and spaced Tpoin-ts on the cross rod 60 at the middle thereof. Positioned immediately behind the cross rod 60 and journalled thereon by means of outer sleeves 66 and a middle sleeve 68, is a hydraulic cylinder angle ironconnector bar 70, which extends for the major part of the length of the cross rod 60 and is provided in one flange thereof,

with longitudinally spaced holes 72, for selective engagement by the connector pin 74 of the clevis 76 on the piston rod 78 of a hydraulic jack 80, the cylinder 82 of which is journalled, as indicated at 84, on an interi i mediate part of the intermediate frame cross member 40.

Iournalled on and slidable along the bight portion 54 of the forward boat cradle 56, at points inwardly of the sleeves 52, are spaced sleeves 86 on which are fixed upstanding clevises 88, and rearwardly extending ears or lugs 90. Boat chocks 92 are pivoted intermediate their ends, as indicated at 94, in the upper parts of the clevises 88, to normally assume laterally inwardly tilted positions, as indicated in FIGURES 1 and 3, and which have bevelled inner end portions 96 which can rest' 1 upon the sleeves 86, upon the weight of a boat B resting upon and between the Chocks 92.

A rear boat cradle 98 is substantially similar to the forward boat rest 56, except for the absence of a cross rod 60 and its appurtenances, having its components identified by similar primed numerals, is journalled on the rear frame cross member 43. The rear cradle 98 has thereon crossed and intersecting diagonal brace rods 100 which are secured to the sleeves 50 and 52., which take the place of the cross rod of the forward cradle 56 in lending strength and rigidity thereto.

At the facing sides of and extending along the bight portions 54 and 54 of the two boat cradles 56 and 98, and secured to their sleeve lugs or ears 90 and 90 are 60 angle iron bars 102 and 182', respectively, which are provided with longitudinally spaced bolt holes 104 and 194' through which bolts 106 and 106' are selectively engaged. These bolts are on related ends of longitudinal laterally spaced tie rods 108, whose forwardstructure is shown in detail in FIGURE 4, extend through related lugs 90 and 90 on chock sleeves 86 and 86 and through selected bolt holes 104, 104' in flanges of the bars 102, 102 of the boat cradles. The checks 92 and 92' are given the desired spacing relative to each other on the two boat cradles, by engaging the bolts 106 and 106' in related holes in the bars 102, 102'. The lengths of the tie rods 108 is such that, when erected, the forward a flat and compact form for convenient transport andstorage.

For locking the boat cradles in their erect positions,-

as shown in FIGURE 2, a locking and bracing assembly, generally designated 110 is provided in association with the forward lift frame 46. The assembly 110 comprises an upstanding lug 112 fixed on a frame side member 16 at a point near to and spaced rearwardly from the forward end of the member 16, on which is pivoted, as indicated at 114, the lower end of a straight rod 116, on which is fixed at its upper or free end, a rearwardly and laterally offset stop arm 118. Pivotedv at 120, on the same side of the rod 116 as the stop arm 118, and

at a pointspaced downwardly from the stop arm, is the lower end of a normally upstanding straight toggle lever 122, having fixed on its upper'end a forwardly extending spring clevis 124 to be forced forwardly onto the adjacent forward lift frame side bar 48, at the upper end thereof, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, with the rod 116 broken or off-center forwardly of the toggle lever 322, and with the toggle lever 122 against the stop arm 128, as shown in detail in FIGURE 2. This over-center arrangement puts the rod 116 and the toggle lever 122 in lockedbracing relation to the forward liftframe 46, relative to the main frame 12, so that the forward lift frame 46 is maintained in an erect position. a Breaking the rod 116 and the toggle lever 122. in a rearward direction permits the forward lift frame 46, and the rear lift frame 46', by virtue of the tie rods 108 which connect these frames, to be depressed to the phantom line positions shown in FIGURE 2.

For operating the hydraulic jack 80, a suitable connection is provided on the cylinder 82for connection of a water hose 126, preferably having a hand valveequipped connection fitting 123 to which is to be connected a locally available source of water under pressure. When the valve 128 is opened, the piston rod '73 of the jack 80 is extended out of the cylinder 82 and pushes the forward lift frame 46, and consequently the rear lift frame 46 to erect position, whereat closing of the valve 128 holds the pressure in the cylinder 82, so as to maintain the erect positions of the lift frames, and thereby the elevated above-water positions of the boat cradles 56 and 98. The assembly 110 serves to hold these positions whenever it is desired to disconnect the hose 126 from the water supply.

While there has been shown and described herein a preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and that any change or changes in the structure of and in the relative arrangements of components thereof are contemplated as being within the scope of the invention as defined by the claim appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

A boat lift comprising a main horizontal frame having forward and rear ends, a forward lift frame hinged on the main frame at the forward end of the main frame, a rear lift frame hinged on the main frame at a point spaced rearwardly from the forward lift frame, tie rod means spaced above the main frame and extending between and pivotally secured to upper parts of the lift frames and maintaining the lift frames in parallel relationship to each other in erect positions and in depressed reclining positions, cradles mounted on the lift frames, and hydraulic jack means extending between and pivoted to the main frame and to one of the lift frames for erecting the lift frames from depressed positions and for holding the lift framesin erect positions, said cradles comprising U-shaped boat cradles mounted on upper parts of the lift frames having bight portions extending crosswise of the main frame, and pairs of boat chocks mounted on the bight portions, and a locking assembly comprising a normalily vertical rod having a lower end pivoted on the main frame at a point spaced behind the forward lift frame, a rearwardly and laterally extending stop arm on the upper end of the vertical rod, a vertical toggle lever pivoted at its lower end to a side of the ventical rod at a point spaced below the stop arm, said toggle lever having a forwardly extending clevis on its upper end to engage a part of the forward lift frame only in the erect position thereof for holding the lift frames in erect position, with the vertical rod in a forward diagonal position with its upper portion over-center with respect to the toggle lever.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 779,600 Hickler Jan. 10, 1905 2,340,764 M-akarof Feb. 1, 1944 2,505,832 Lange May 2, 1950 2,585,664 Le May et al. Feb. 12, 1952 2,675,981 Ferris Apr. 20, 1954 2,736,172 McChesney Feb. 28, 1956 2,902,184 Buckner Sept. 1, 1959 2,954,847 Raab et al. Oct. 4, 1960 2,963,176 Smith Dec. 6, 1960 

